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WASHINGTON 
THE NATION^S CAPITAL 



WASHINGTON 

THE NATION'S CAPITAL 

rWENTT-FIVE DRAWINGS 
BY 

HERBERT PULLINGER 




NEW YORK 

BRENTANO^S 

PUBLISHERS 






COPYRIGHT, 192 I, BY 
HERBERT PULLINGER 



All rights reserved 



THE PLIMPTON PRESS 
NORWOOD-MASS-U'S'A 



APRiG'Z 

0)CI,A6i4216 



CONTENTS 

I. The Union Station. 

II. The Treasury Building. 

III. North on Fifteenth Street. 

IV. The American Red Cross Building. 
V. The Monument. 

VI. The Capitol from the Southwest. 

VII. The Avenue. 

VIII. Across Lafayette Square. 

IX. The White House — South Front. 

X. The West Front of the Capitol. 

XI. The Patent Office. 

XII. The Pan American Union Building. 

XIII. Mount Vernon. 

XIV. Night. 

XV. The Lincoln Memorial. 

XVI. The North Wing of the Capitol. 

XVII. The Old and the New. 

XVIII. The Scottish Rite Temple. 

XIX. The Capitol from the East. 

XX. Christ Church — Alexandria^ Va. 

XXI. The Heart of the City. 

XXII. Hotels. 

XXIII. The Library of Congress. 

XXIV. Fifteenth Street and New York Avenue. 
XXV. The Capitol at Night. 



WASHINGTON 
THE NATION^S CAPITAL 



I 

THE UNION STATION 

THIS great terminus, ample in portion and 
dignity, with its beautiful facade, the largeness 
of its approach with its great bronze flagstaffs standing 
guard and all sweeping gracefully into the wide tree- 
lined avenue, with the dome of the Capitol dominating 
the distance, gives the visitor not only a feeling of 
generous welcome, but that feeling of pleasure one 
usually experiences upon seeing a thing function 
properly. 



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II 

THE TREASURY BUILDING 

PERHAPS one gets the best view of the Treasury- 
Building from the south on the edge of the 
Mall, where the great sweep of the wide roadway, 
flanked on either side with wonderful trees, for which 
Washington is famous, leads one gracefully toward it. 
On the west are the White House grounds, while on 
the east one gets a glimpse of the taller buildings of 
the city. Architecturally it is an imposing building, 
with its great flight of broad steps, leading up to the 
columned portico. 



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NORTH ON FIFTEENTH STREET 

ONE never thinks of Washington as a city of 
skyscrapers, and indeed it is not, but here and 
there groups of tall buildings may be found which 
give it an aspect much like any other American city, 
except that always a certain feeling of calm dignity 
pervades the atmosphere. Perhaps it is the wide,, 
unobstructed streets, always lined with well-kept, 
healthy trees or perhaps it is just Washington. 

Along about five o'clock in the evening the great 
government buildings pour forth a stream of humanity, 
a sober, well-dressed kind of a crowd, a crowd which 
doesn't seem to act like any other crowd on its way 
home. Perhaps this, too, is just Washington. 



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IV 
THE AMERICAN RED CROSS BUILDING 

ERECTED as a Memorial to the Heroic Women 
of the American Civil War, the Red Cross Build- 
ing is one of the group of handsome buildings flanking 
the western side of the Mall, and which is, perhaps, 
the most notable group in the Capitol, the unity of 
which goes far toward a unified design for the whole 
city. Its gleaming white front, seen through the trees, 
is indeed a shining memorial to the patriotism of the 
nation's womanhood. 



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THE MONUMENT 

ALWAYS one sees the great Monument looming 
majestically sk)rward as if to proclaim to the 
world the simple dignity and lofty principles of him 
for whom it stands, — in the early morning a golden 
shaft rising out of the misty earth ; in the evening more 
like a flaming sword raised by the hand of justice. 
The slanting rain drives furiously past its huge bulk 
standing so solidly. I have never seen it in the snow, 
but can easily imagine it towering into the mysterious 
and whirling white. One feels no great effort in its 
creation: it just seems to have grown there, easily 
and naturally, like a great rock, and one gets the im- 
pression of its always having been there. 

At night it looms dark and foreboding against the 
sky. 



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VI 

THE CAPITOL FROM THE SOUTHWEST 

IT was originally intended, I think, that the Western 
Front of the Capitol should be the Main Front, 
but things worked out the other way. The Eastern 
Front is fine and dignified, but the Western Front, 
while equally fine, is perhaps a little less dignified. 
The great sweep of the steps leading up to the terraces 
and fountains and thence up to the main platform, 
the gentle slope of the well-cropped lawns, the trees 
and shrubbery, and the squirrels all go to make it a 
little more intimate. One stands a bit in awe of the 
Main Front, but not so from the west. 



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VII 
THE AVENUE 

LOOKING down Pennsylvania Avenue from the 
White House grounds at Sixteenth Street, across 
the steps of the Treasury Building, the scene sparkles 
and vibrates with activity. The broad expanse of 
street teems with scurrying motors, moving cars and 
little black spots of people hustling to and fro. The 
great dome of the Capitol in the distance seems to be 
the end of things and one has a feeling that here, 
between the White House and the Capitol, is indeed 
the Hub of the Nation. It is here, too, that the great 
inaugural parades march while great throngs of on- 
lookers pack the short distance. 



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VIII 
ACROSS LAFAYETTE SQUARE 

LOOMING over the tops of the beautiful trees of 
Lafayette Square, opposite the White House, 
one gets a gUmpse of the tall buildings to the north. 
The old square, with its statues of Jackson, Lafayette, 
Rochambeau and others, is dear to the hearts of Wash- 
ingtonians and teems with historical associations. 

Grouped around the square are many interesting 
old buildings. The diminutive St. John's Church, 
where many of the Presidents of the United States 
have worshipped, nestles under the lee of the newer 
tall buildings. The Cosmos Club, formerly the home 
of Dolly Madison, and numerous other buildings of 
historic interest surround this lovely old square. 

The view across the square seems to embody a 
great deal of that which is Washington, perhaps dig- 
nity and breadth. 



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IX 
THE WHITE HOUSE — SOUTH FRONT 

PERHAPS there is nothing in Washington quite 
so lovely as the South Front of the Executive 
Mansion, especially with the sun on it in the late 
afternoon. Originally planned as the Main Front it 
stands out brilliantly against its beautiful setting of 
varied greens. Sheep graze peacefully on its well- 
cropped lawns. 

The White House was the first building erected 
by the United States at the new Capitol, its site 
being selected and its corner-stone having been laid 
by Washington himself. 

It is a beautiful example of Georgian architecture 
and was first occupied in 1800 by John Adams. It is 
on the gentle slopes below the portico of the South 
front, amid the dignified setting of old trees, that the 
thousands of children gather on Easter Monday for 
the traditional egg rolling. 



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X 

THE WEST FRONT OF THE CAPITOL 

UP the long inclined walk and rising by low steps 
and easy stages one approaches the Capitol 
from the West through a leafy archway of trees. 
Very friendly little gray squirrels scamper to and fro 
across the path and along the coping. The wide steps 
leading up to the terrace stretch away into the green. 
The sun, glistening through the trees on the white 
front of the building, likens it to some fairy castle with 
little black figures forever climbing. One hastens to 
see what is in store for one. 



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XI 
THE PATENT OFFICE 

TUCKED away down in a busy old section of the 
town is located what Washington knows as 
the Patent Office, though it really is the Interior De- 
partment, of which the Patent Office is one of its many 
branches. 

The fine old portico, with its Doric Columns, can be 
seen from Pennsylvania Avenue at what seems to be 
the northern end of one of the streets near the Capitol, 
and suggests something interesting, but few climb the 
hill to inspect it. 

It is here that the great inventions, for which the 
United States are famous, are recorded. Seen at night, 
with the lights shining on the row of great pillars, 
clustered about the entrance, it is picturesque indeed. 



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XII 
THE PAN AMERICAN UNION 

THE Pan American Union Building is one of 
the most beautiful buildings in the Capitol. 
Designed by Albert Kelsey and Paul Cret, it is a 
wonderful example of simplicity and dignity. 

Flanking the monumental bronze doors is, to the 
north, the sculptured group representing North 
America, by Gutzon Borglum, and to the south, the 
group representing South America, by Isidore Konti. 

The interior is beautiful indeed; the patio, in the 
centre of which is a fountain by Gertrude Vanderbilt 
Whitney, is filled with plants and flora and birds from 
tropical America. Its roof of glass is thrown open in 
summer. It is here that the representatives of the 
twenty-one Republics, which constitute such a large 
part of the Western Hemisphere, meet to transact 
their affairs. 



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XIII 
MOUNT VERNON 

THE spell of Mt. Vernon comes first, perhaps, 
from its wonderful location high on the banks 
of the Potomac, with that beautiful river spreading 
out below. Then again, the simplicity of the place, 
the orderly and efficient arrangement of the building 
and the quiet dignity which permeates the atmosphere, 
all affects one. One is not particularly attracted by 
the architecture, but the impressive thing is a certain 
feeling of Washington himself, as though the spirit 
of the great man pervaded the place — one feels this 
great presence everywhere. 



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XIV 
NIGHT 

NIGHT in the city to many of us usually means 
the glare of many electric signs and the hustle 
of many people, and an oppressive feeling overhead, 
with never a thought of trees. Night in Washington, 
however, is a little different. Here the street lights are 
low and not too bright, and one gets a clear view of the 
tops of the trees against the sky and a feeling of great 
space. 

Washington streets have the effect of not being 
too well lighted, due to their width, but one does feel, 
however, that one is at least out in the night. 

There are, however, numerous places here where 
the bright lights shine and one forgets the night. 



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XV 
THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL 

DESIGNED by Henry Bacon, the Lincoln Memo- 
rial, overlooking the Potomac River, is situated 
at the western end of the great parkway which runs 
past the White House and stretches eastward to the 
Capitol with the Washington Monument near the 
centre, and it is a part of the great central scheme of 
design for the city. 

Inside are three large halls separated by tall columns, 
the central one being open to the out of doors. In 
the Central Hall, with his back to the river, sits the 
huge sculptured figure of Lincoln, by Daniel Chester 
French, looking, as it were, past the monument towards 
the Capitol. 

On the walls of the two smaller halls are the stun- 
ning murals by Jules Guerin and beneath these cut 
in the walls is the great emancipator's second inaugural 
address and his Gettysburg speech. The Lincoln 
Memorial is indeed an inspiring monument to the 
great martyred President. 



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XVI 

THE NORTH WING OF THE CAPITOL 

FROM the terrace below, the north wing of the 
Capitol, especially toward evening, takes on the 
look of some Classic Greek Temple, its marked outline 
standing out against the sky. The wings were added 
to the building somewhat later, they having been 
finished along about 1867, and are now occupied by 
the Congress, the Senate sitting in the northern wing. 



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XVII 
THE OLD AND THE NEW 

HERE and there in this wonderful city one 
finds, as in other cities, old houses nestling 
close to the more modern tall ones. Quaint iron- 
balconied places with high brick walls enclose charm- 
ing old gardens. The difference, however, between 
these and those of other cities is that here they seem 
to have been treated more kindly. Perhaps someone 
of importance in the history of the country may once 
have lived here or perhaps some distinguished foreigners 
may have lived here temporarily. One has a feeling 
that many carriages must have stopped here. 

These old places seem strangely to belong to the 
town, so carefully they seem to be interwoven, and so 
well, with the more modern buildings which surround 
them. 



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XVIII 
THE SCOTTISH RITE TEMPLE 

DESIGNED by John Alvin Pope, the Scottish 
Rite Temple is said to have ' been modelled 
after the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, located on the 
shores of Asia Minor, and which was considered by 
the ancients to be one of the seven wonders of the 
world. This beautiful building is the home of the 
Southern jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite of America. 



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XIX 
THE CAPITOL FROM THE EAST 

THE guards will tell you that it took so many 
years to build and that it cost so much 
money. They will tell you the number of cubic yards 
of stone and marble used in its construction, the weight 
of the dome and numerous other important things: 
but what is all this? — The fact remains, and it does 
mean something, that one comes back to the East 
Front again and again with satisfaction, that its dignity 
is inspiring and that the great building seems symboli- 
cal of the nation's strength. 

It is something, too, to know that Washington 
himself laid the corner-stone and that out here before 
the East Front, surrounded by a representative as- 
semblage of the Government, the people and repre- 
sentatives of the other Governments of the Earth, 
many of the Nation's Presidents have taken the 
solemn oath of their office. 

It is something, too, just to stand and look at it, 
something more than listening to the guard. 



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XX 

CHRIST CHURCH — ALEXANDRIA, VA. 

IN the sunny little town of Alexandria, not far 
from Washington, and surrounded by a quiet 
burial ground and big shade trees, stands the old 
historic Christ Church. 

Broa-; " ^ streets, lined with quaint old colonial 
houses lie around it and a tranquil air pervades the 
place. 

The Church is said to have been finished about 

1773. 

George Washington bought one of the first ten 
pews offered for sale, and number Five is still known 
as the Washington Pew. Many other prominent 
names are said to have been connected with the Church. 



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XXI 
THE HEART OF THE CITY 

TO the visitor the aspect of Washington is more 
Hke that of a foreign city than an American 
one, despite the fact that here and there one does 
get a gHmpse of a few tall buildings clustered together 
in a businesslike way. 

One is impressed with the breadth of its streets, all 
so beautifully lined with various species of well-cared- 
for trees. It is odd, indeed, to walk along these streets 
of a windy night late in the Fall and have literally 
to wade through fallen and whirling leaves. 

Nor is there a forest of ugly poles and wires and 
glaring electric lights to obstruct one's view of the 
sky, and the absence of bill boards is astonishing. 
Short slender iron posts crowned by a single ground 
glass globe containing a mellow light run for miles 
along the Avenues. Everywhere the streets open 
vistas; everywhere there seems to be breadth and 
dignity; a wonderful setting for the low massive 
buildings. 

Rightly the Nation's Capitol should set the pace 
and truly Washington is a city to be proud of. 



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XXII 
HOTELS 

IN the early days of Washington most of the popular 
hotels were located along the Avenue, down near 
the Capitol and the Railway Station. These great 
unlovely places, many of them still standing, were 
the centre of the life of the Capitol. Here many 
representatives of the Government and other promi- 
nent people stayed. 

Perhaps the old Arlington, on Lafayette Square, 
now torn down, was the most famous. It was here 
that King George of England and many other notable 
visitors were entertained. To-day, however, many 
beautiful modern hostelries are to be found all over 
the town. 



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XXIII 
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

TO the stranger, the Congressional Library is 
perhaps the most interesting building in Wash- 
ington, and one of the first to be visited. Its beautiful 
facade, in the Italian Renaissance, the bronze fountain 
and doors give but little hint of the wealth of color 
and beauty inside. The marbles and tilings, the 
paintings, sculpture and carvings, and that riot of 
color contrasted against the cool marble, amply re- 
pay the visitor. Here some of the best names in 
American Art are to be found. And not only is the 
physical interior interesting, but its wonderful col- 
lection of books and prints. 

It is here that the publisher, author and the artist 
must send examples of their work to be copyrighted, 
which fact in itself would insure for the library a 
wonderful collection of American works. 



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XXIV 

FIFTEENTH STREET AND NEW YORK 
AVENUE 

HERE is perhaps the busiest corner in Washing- 
ton. All day long the people pass to and fro, 
machines slip quietly by and the trolley cars seem 
to be forever turning, but never with that degree of 
hurry which characterizes other American cities Al- 
ways the wide streets and low massive buildings, 
the trees and the sky, and always that feeling of 
repose, of quiet dignity and good breeding. 

There being no industry here the immigrant is not 
attracted, thus the people seem to be more distinctly 
American. 



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XXV 

THE CAPITOL AT NIGHT 

AGAINST the lighter sky the huge dome looms 
mysteriously in the night, its dark mass seem- 
ing to signify the strength of its foundations — this 
great nation's capitol building. 

Now, at the turning of a switch, the great dome is 
flooded with a warm, mellow light, its architectural 
detail standing out prominently against the black 
sky, — one laughs aloud at the joy of it. 

The people on the plaza below become dwarfed 
into mere black spots against the brilliant spectacle. 
In fact, one feels a bit insignificant otherwise before 
this wondrous column of towering light. 



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